Don't Be Afraid To Love

Chapter 39

It had been a couple of weeks since I had moved back to my mother's. Christmas was close. I had bought a new phone with some money lent from my mother, which I promised I would give her back on my first paycheck. She insisted that I went back to work with her at the accounting firm, but I refused.

I asked her to help me with some money so I could sign up for a course on interior design. That was the field I wanted to work in. I was passionate about it, and even though probably money wasn't going to be great at first, I would be happy. I intended to freelance but also to apply to some design companies in the city and maybe even in the neighbor cities as well. My mom wasn't happy with me leaving the city - or rather, with leaving her - but she said if it made me happy and I found a good offer, she was going to support my idea.

I convened to wait until New Year's Eve for a final decision. Until then, I was going to clear my head and try to remove Robert out of my head for good. It wasn't easy - it was basically impossible - but I had to try. I kept waiting to get a sign from him ever since I solved my phone problem - I thought maybe he would try to text or call me, but he didn't. That meant it was really over. No closure, no nothing.

*****

It was just a few days until Christmas. My mother sent me to do some Christmas shopping , to "distract" me, she said.

"I hope you don't mind, I called in some help," my mom told me when I put my jacket on to leave.

"What help?"

She made an embarrassed grimace like she knew she had made something foolish.

"Who did you call, mom?"

"Johnny is waiting for you downstairs."

"What?"

"I thought you might need a hand with all the shopping bags, and maybe you will find a tree we could decorate here in the living room - you always loved to decorate the Christmas tree."

"That was when I was a kid," I reminded her. "Mom, why did you call John? You know I don't like him being around."

"He'll only help you with a lift. There's nothing wrong with that. Besides, how else would you carry the tree by yourself?"

"Ugh..."

I stopped protesting and went outside, realizing I wasn't going to get away too easily from my mother's attempts to convince me to get back with John.

When I exited the block, John was waiting for me near his car, having a childish grin on his face while he held a small white flag in his hand, shaking it slightly.

"I come in peace," John said.

I was preparing to display an ironic grimace, but I couldn't help but burst into laughter seeing him like that.

"I don't know what my mother told you, but I would've handled very well going by myself for the Christmas tree shopping."

"I bet. But listen, I just want to tell you I'm sorry for that day I kissed you," John said while we got into his car.

"You're sorry you kissed me."

"Actually, I'm not. But I'm sorry if that caused you trouble."

"Mm-hm..."

"Will you accept my peace offering?" he asked, giving me the little white flag.

I laughed again, taking it out of his hand.

"I know you don't want me back... but at least can we be friends?"

"Are you honestly okay with just being friends?" I asked John.